Palma, Mallorca
На русском. 🇷🇺
A short Christmas trip to Mallorca.
By the end of the year I had already used up all my vacation days, but there were a few days off around Christmas. Instead of staying at home I decided to travel in the easiest possible way. There were cheap Ryanair flights to Palma.
The weather turned out to be warmer than in Berlin, but only slightly. Out of five days it rained on four, sometimes just briefly, sometimes all day long. Still, some people were swimming and surfing.
Lots of people fly to the island specifically to go cycling. This time I decided to skip that activity, the weather didn’t inspire much confidence.
The airport is quite close to the city center, and buses to the center cost €5 and run frequently. When I arrived, I was greeted by pouring rain and had to hide under an umbrella.
Later the rain stopped and it became possible to stroll around the evening city. At Christmas, Palma looks very beautiful, lots of lights and decorations. The puddles and wet cobblestones added beautiful reflections. That evening, probably because of the rain, the streets were almost empty.
The next morning brought sunny and clear weather, so I decided to walk along the sea.
Taking my time, I strolled almost all the way to the airport, but then the weather started to turn.
The way back had to be done under a light drizzle. The surfers, however, couldn't care less about the weather, they kept surfing in the rain like it was nothing.
The whole next day turned out to be clear. Palma, at least its historic part, is very compact. You can easily walk around it in one day.
Not far from the central square with the Christmas market, there is 📍an elegant building that resembles the works of Gaudí.
From there I went to the main attraction, 📍Palma Cathedral.
Then, in the opposite direction from yesterday’s seaside walk, I headed to 📍Bellver Castle. Unfortunately, it was closed that day for Christmas.
The castle stands on a hill offering a panoramic view of the city. Around the castle there is a large park with a few motley birds.
My minimum plan included a forest hike, so in the evening I chose the 9 km Cova dels Pastors trail near Bellver Castle, hoping for good weather.
In the morning it was overcast but dry. By the time I reached the castle it was already raining. That day there was a running event in the castle park, runners were pushing through the rain. The castle itself and the museum inside turned out to be open with free admission.
The rain gradually weakened, and by the time I reached the trailhead it had almost stopped. The forest and nature along the trail were quite picturesque.
Along the way I came across a large cave with clear signs of climbers having been there.
Near the top of the hill there was a beautiful view of the city with a rainbow.
Already on the descent, during the final kilometer of the trail which follows a road, a local resident kindly gave me a lift in his car, saving me about half an hour of walking. In the end, that day I walked around 30 km in total.
The next day I didn’t have any particular plans and wasn’t up for another long walk, so I went to the museum near the cathedral, and then wandered around the center and the Christmas markets.
In the morning, it was time to head back to Berlin.
The trip to Palma turned out to be quite pleasant and refreshing, despite the unsettled weather. At Christmas, the city creates a festive mood even without snow.